by Barney Beal, Content Director, NetSuite

When, Vijay Raghvani joined NetSuite in 2012 to look after the ANZ Channel, he never expected to be named the Worldwide Channel Representative just three years later.

At the time, the channel business represented a very small part of overall revenue for the region. And as the second person to join the channel “team,” effectively doubling it, the prospect of growing the business and gaining worldwide recognition could have been a daunting task. Not for Vijay.  He saw this as an opportunity to play an influential role in helping to establish a successful channel program that is now delivering unprecedented results for both NetSuite and the partners.

In three years, the channel operation has gone from having 5% of ANZ partners represented in the top 20 worldwide, to 40% in the top 10 awarded partners in 2015.  The internal team has since grown from two to 10 focused solely on strengthening the ANZ channel business.

Vijay has been on a roll since starting his career at NetSuite.  He has reached Presidents club for three consecutive years, qualified for Club Evil twice (NetSuite’s award for being selected as one of the top 15 performers worldwide) and of course awarded the Worldwide Channel representative for 2015.

And Vijay is just getting started.

“I tend to look forward more than backwards, and see the last three years as putting in the foundations for what we will do over the next three years,” he says. “I hope to play an even more influential role in this next phase of the journey.”

Becoming part of the cloud revolution

Like many NetSuite employees, Vijay joined the company with solid experience in ERP software and the need for a challenge to help build the cloud revolution. With an extensive background in building channel programs at companies like Axceler and Canon, he welcomed the challenge of growing a channel that was still in start-up mode.

He also felt a strong connection to NetSuite’s culture – which he characterizes as very different from anywhere else he’s worked before.  Vijay appreciates the balance between work and personal life at NetSuite, the open communication and the trust employees share in the business.

At NetSuite, he’s found that even with the significant growth he’s witnessed over the past three years, the values that drive the business have remained the same. He believes that the NetSuite culture encourages colleagues to become true friends, to forgo egos and to share in successes. He also values both the global and regional leadership and regularly takes advantage of the open door policy to learn and extend his skills.

“It’s rare you find a culture where people are so pleased to see others succeed. But everyone at NetSuite is genuinely pleased for you when you do,” he says. “NetSuite put time into their people and I value the investment made by the leadership to develop my career.”

There are of course less existential perks he appreciates as well – like enjoying lunch with coworkers at the company’s Sydney office, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House in full sight.

Family friendly culture invaluable

When he’s not working, Vijay spends time with his globetrotting family – his wife, Anita and kids Dylan, 10 and Davina, 8. With a travel log that includes multiple trips to North America, various breaks across Asia and with of course local trips around Australia and New Zealand too – and that’s just over the last three years!   

Phuket, Hawaii, and South Africa are on the docket for the next 12 months. The Raghvani family also loves to stay home and watch a movie, enjoy a day at the beach, or watch their favorite soccer club – (Liverpool of course)!

This is why NetSuite’s strong focus on family life –  like “take your kids to work” days – has been invaluable to Vijay.  “My family is incredibly supportive of what I do and the impact I have on my partners, customers and colleagues.”

And having a small family in Australia, coming to the office is almost an extension of my   personal life. “My colleagues have become friends and I know that the team at NetSuite are extremely talented.  On top of this, I constantly learn and feel challenged in what I do.  It’s a perfect environment to utilise my skills and be the best I can.”